RMT advice helps VOLT Bikes on the road to success

Advice and support from RMT Accountants & Business Advisors has helped a family-owned e-bike retail business develop from being a high-growth start-up into an award-winning market leader.

VOLT Bikes sells a comprehensive range of e-bikes and accessories to customers right across the UK and has taken full advantage of the boom in e-bikes over the last decade, and particularly during and since the pandemic.

Founded by brothers James and Lyle Metcalfe in 2011, the company was one of the first in the UK to bring e-bikes to the market and now manufactures them at its factory in Milton Keynes.

It sells them both directly to customers through the VOLT Bikes website and also through a network of dealers across the country, with more than 35,000 VOLT bikes now on the road in the UK.

The combination of product and build quality and unmatched customer service standards have been central to VOLT Bikes’ commercial success and to the range of awards that the company has won, including the National Family Business of the Year Award and the HSBC Customer Champion Award at the recent HSBC UK & FSB Small Business Growth Awards 2026.

Alongside its consumer sales, it is also building its presence in the fleet market, with customers including the NHS and travel company Tui, which now carries VOLT Bikes on all its Marella cruise ships for passengers to use whenever they dock.

It is currently looking at options for expanding into mainland Europe, while it has recently introduced new test ride and ‘try before you buy’ services to enable customers to experience their products before making their purchase decision.

VOLT Bikes has worked with David Holloway at RMT Accountants’ Durham office for most of the company’s history, with support and advice being provided around tax and financial matters, company structure, fundraising and accounting systems.

James Metcalfe says: “The quality of the overall package that we offer to our customers has been at the core of our success and of the word of mouth that has resulted from so many of them telling their friends and family about their VOLT Bikes.

“We know that people love the British build quality that we offer, the stylishness of our different designs and, unlike many of our rivals, the absolute focus on safety that we have when it comes to choosing our batteries and other essential components.

“The rigorous service standards that we set match this quality of our products and we know how much it means to customers to be able to rely on our expert team both while they’re making their purchasing decision and over the longer term whenever they need us.

“This powerful combination has helped the business continue to grow, win a wide range of awards and garner substantial numbers of fantastic product reviews that keep bringing new and repeat customers our way.

“The UK e-bike market is only going to get bigger, and our aim is to look to increase our share of it organically while also innovating wherever we see opportunities to do so, such as through the new test ride and ‘try before you buy’ services that we’re now launching.

“As the business has grown and evolved, the advice and support we’ve had from David has remained a real constant for us and it’s been really beneficial to know that he’s always available to provide expert guidance on any issues as they’ve arisen or to act as a sounding board for our latest ideas.”

David Holloway, director at RMT Accountants & Business Advisors, adds: “The VOLT Bikes team were quick to see a clear commercial opportunity, and the combination of a high-quality product, strong brand vision and truly outstanding customer service has enabled them to take full advantage of it.

“Helping clients’ realise the growth potential of their business ideas and assisting them in achieving their personal and commercial objectives is a really satisfying part of our role.

“There’s a lot more to come from VOLT Bikes and we’re very pleased to be riding alongside them.”

For more information on the full range of VOLT Bikes, please visit www.voltbikes.co.uk